Social media bombards us every day with new beauty trends promising to work miracles on skin. Out of the overwhelming stream of skin care suggestions popping up on our FYP, there are some trustworthy, derm-approved ones that we can count on. Skin cycling is one of them.
The skin cycling trend was popularized by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, whose four-night skin care routine consists of two nights of treatments followed by two nights of rest days. The concept is to let skin benefit from active ingredients while minimizing the risk of skin irritation from using those ingredients. It’s considered a tried-and-true solution for various skin concerns, such as lackluster and dull skin, sensitive skin, weakened skin barrier, acne and more.
Whether you’re a skin care junkie who tends to overcomplicate your beauty routine, or a budding beginner daunted by the vast universe of skin care products, skin cycling is the perfect place to start if you’re hoping to curate a streamlined routine that addresses your skin concerns while maintaining its optimal health.
What is Skin Cycling?
The skin cycling method is a four-night rotational skin care routine involving a chemical exfoliant on the first night, a retinoid on the second night, and gentle products on the third and fourth nights to allow skin to rest and recover.
By cycling through inactive and active ingredients over the course of four nights, the skin will benefit from regular exfoliation (that removes dead skin cells and unclogs pores) and regular use of retinoids (that treat wrinkles and acne) without causing irritation or a compromised skin barrier, concerns associated with overuse of these active ingredients. The result is glowing and radiant skin.
Although a classic skin cycling routine lasts four nights, it’s also possible to tailor the skin cycling regimen to suit your own needs. For example, an additional recovery night might help those with sensitive and reactive skin. Or if you’ve built a tolerance to exfoliants and retinoids, you may skip the fourth recovery night.
How to Start a Skin Cycling Routine
Skin cycling is a fool-proof skin care routine designed to minimize irritation and maximize results. I’ve rounded up some of the best K-Beauty products for each step to optimize your skin cycling routine.
Night 1: Exfoliation
After cleansing skin, apply an exfoliating product that contains one or a blend of exfoliating acids such as AHAs, BHAs and PHAs. Choose chemical exfoliants over physical scrubs as the former are gentler on skin while penetrating deeper within skin.
Isntree’s Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence is infused with 4% glycolic acid and 4% lactic acid, both powerful AHAs, to peel away dead skin cells and unclog pores, revealing a smooth and radiant complexion. Cos De BAHA’s S4 Salicylic Acid BHA 4% Serum harnesses the exfoliating and antibacterial effects of salicylic acid to rid skin of blackheads and impurities.
PHA is an ideal alternative for sensitive skin because the ingredient gently exfoliates skin without causing irritation. The AC Fighting PHA 12 Purifying Liquid from TIA’M and the BHA PHA 5.5 Peeling Pad from Neulii both have PHA as their hero ingredient.
For those with oily or acne-prone skin, you can also add a salicylic acid-infused face wash such as COSXR’s Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser in your morning routine to further clear pores of impurities and excess oil for acne prevention. Limit the use of an exfoliating cleanser in the morning routine to prevent over-exfoliation when used in conjunction with your nighttime chemical exfoliant.
Night 2: Retinoid
Day two is the time to introduce a stable and powerful retinoid into the routine. Retinoids, including retinal and retinol, encourage skin cell turnover and boost collagen production. If used incorrectly, however, the active ingredient can cause drying, flaking or more adverse skin reactions. Using once every four nights helps build skin’s tolerance to retinoids and prevent potential skin irritation.
If you’re new to retinoids or have sensitive skin, SOME BY MI’s Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum is a safe bet. The formula contains a gentle blend of retinol, retinal and bakuchiol, which targets fine lines and wrinkles while promoting skin elasticity. The Cicanoid Retinal Cream from SCINIC is another gentle option that utilizes retinal and Phyto Retinol for effective anti-aging care.
The Retinol 0.5 Oil from COSRX is enriched with 0.5% retinol to deliver powerful anti-aging care, squalane to improve skin’s moisture retention, and Vitamin E to combat free radicals.
For those in need of special care around the eyes, opt for heimish’s Marine Care Retinol Eye Serum. Formulated with retinol, algae-derived Miracle Seawater and niacinamide, the multipurpose eye cream boasts potent smoothing, hydrating and brightening benefits.
Nights 3 and 4: Recovery
In a skin cycling routine, rest and recovery is the name of the game to avoid irritation and ensure skin is adequately rejuvenated to prime condition before applying chemical exfoliants and retinoids again. On nights three and four, you should only include gentle, hydrating and barrier-supporting formulas in your routine.
Hyaluronic acid is a major hydrator that effectively replenishes skin with moisture. MIZON’s Hyaluronic Acid 100 serum and Torriden’s DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream both incorporate hyaluronic acid to hydrate, revitalize and rejuvenate skin.
Dr.Jart+’s Cicapair Calming Gel Cream provides intense soothing care for sensitive skin, while delivering ample hydration thanks to the centella asiatica complex and 76% centella asiatica leaf extract in the formula.
For mature and dry skin that craves hydration, a squalane-rich formula such as the Plainet Squalane Oil 100 from PURITO will drench your skin in hydration, soften skin and protect the skin barrier.
